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We will have to mark Qatar hitman Soria closely, cautions Al Enazy

Mohammad Salem Al Enazy, the UAE central defender, feels the team needs to beat Qatar in order to ease their route to the Gulf Cup final.

  • By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 23:38 January 7, 2009
  • Gulf News

Muscat: Mohammad Salem Al Enazy, the UAE central defender, feels the team needs to beat Qatar in order to ease their route to the Gulf Cup final.

A win tonight will allow the team to rest some of their key players in their next match against Saudi Arabia, ahead of the semifinals.

Al Enazy said: "We have to beat Qatar [tonight] so that we can achieve our aim of reaching the semifinals and subsequently defending the title.

"A win against Qatar will help us rest some of our key players before the semifinals and play a more relaxed game against Saudi Arabia (in the last group outing)," added the defender.

But the UAE player said the game against Qatar would not be easy.

He said: "Qatar are a well-organised team and their coach (Bruno Metsu) knows everything about our team because he was the former head coach of the UAE side.

"However, he will not play against us on the field and his role will be limited once the match kicks off."

Al Enazy could find a place in the starting 11 against Qatar, given the one-match suspension of Faris Juma.

"Whether it is me or my teammate Hamdan Al Kamali," said Al Enazy.

"I am sure that both of us will do our best to help the team achieve their goal of winning full points.

"Our team have good substitutes and the bench is ready to answer the call of duty whenever required."

Al Enazy also praised the performance of Qatar striker Sebastian Soria in this tournament.

"He is an excellent striker with great capabilities. However, just as the Saudi defenders successfully denied him any scoring opportunity, we could do the same.

"We have to mark him closely and not allow the other Qatar strikers any chance to use their speed."

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